US LNG Exports to China Reach Record High Amid Global Market Shifts

The trade of liquefied natural gas (LNG) between China and the US is gaining momentum, presenting vast opportunities for pragmatic cooperation in global energy stability. According to Duan Zhaofang, director of the Department of Gas Market Research at the China National Petroleum Corp's Economics and Technology Research Institute, bilateral LNG trade has served as a critical economic bridge between the world's two largest economies since 2016.

The US exported 110 million metric tons of LNG in 2025, becoming the first country to cross the 100-million-ton threshold. This accounts for approximately one-quarter of global LNG trade. European natural gas demand is softening amid post-crisis structural adjustments, and US suppliers are actively seeking reliable buyers, making China a prime partner.

China's sustained gas market growth offers long-term demand certainty, complementing the supply surge from the US. The country's unloading capacity of LNG receiving terminals will be expanded to 200 million tons per year by 2030, according to the 15th Five-Year Plan for Petroleum and Natural Gas Development.